PORT CHARLOTTE, FL-The York College baseball
team remained hot with their fourth straight win as they edged
Johnson & Wales 2-1 on Friday morning in Port Charlotte, FL.
The Spartans improve to 5-3 overall and 4-0 in the Port Charlotte
portion of their spring trip.
The green and white scored both of their runs in
the first. Senior Jeff Young (Wilmington,
DE/Brandywine) doubled down the left field line to lead
off the game. After the next two Spartans made an out, clean up
hitter Ryan Poff (Spring Grove, PA/Spring Grove)
singled and stole second to put Spartans at second and third with
two outs. Freshman Anthony Anzalone (Rocky Point, NY/Rocky
Point) delivered a clutch two-out, two-run single to left,
giving the Spartans the 2-0 lead.
The Wildcats got their lone run in the thanks to
a hit batter, a wild pick off throw and an RBI double from the
Wildcats Alex Hurley. Hurley was sacrificed to third but was
stranded as Spartan starter Jason Christenberry (Yoe,
PA/Dallastown) got a pop up and a ground out to end the
threat.
The green and white loaded the bases in the
fifth but would be unable to score in their best chance to score
after the first inning. The Wildcats attempted to steal a run in
the sixth as they loaded the bases and then attempted a suicide
squeeze. Mike Pendergast missed the ball and Spartan catcher
Mike Santoro (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan) applied the
tag, preventing Johnson & Wales from scoring.
Neither team had any significant chances the
rest of the way as the Spartans won their first one run decision
after losing their first three one run games this year.
Christenberry earned the win as he allowed one
unearned run on three hits with six strikeouts and three walks in
5.1 innings of work. Sophomore Jake Hughes (Schwenksville,
PA/Souderton) earned the save as he tossed 3.2 shutout
innings as he scattered two hits, struck out three, and walked
one.
Josh Hodge was the hard luck loser as he allowed
two runs on four hits with five strikeouts and five walks. Chad
Miller relieved Hodge and allowed one hit with three strikeouts in
1.2 innings of action.
Anzalone was the offensive star in a game the
featured just 10 combined hits after the Spartans banged out 24
hits in Thursday’s win over Alma. Anzalone was 1-for-4 with
the Spartans’ two RBI. Young had York’s lone extra-base
hit with his first inning double while he scored one of
York’s two runs.
Hurley was the entire Johnson & Wales
offense as he was 5-for-5 with the Wildcats’ lone RBI. The
rest of the Wildcat lineup went a collected 0-for-25.
The Spartans close out their spring trip on
Saturday as they face St. John’s (MN) in a 9:00 am contest in
Port Charlotte. The Spartans return to York on Sunday before
heading out to face Dickinson College on Tuesday in Carlisle, PA.